Doorstop Interview
Gladstone, Queensland
16 July 2010
SUBJECTS: Benefits of MRRT for mining communities; Coalition opposing infrastructure investment, higher superannuation and business tax cuts; $6 billion infrastructure fund; Prime Minister Gillard; Tony Abbott's cancelled visit to Ryan
TREASURER:
It's great to be here with my friend Chris Trevor this morning, here in one of the great engine rooms of the Australian economy and, of course of the Queensland economy. And what we're doing here is talking to the local community about what we've done to support jobs and what we need to do in the future to provide critical infrastructure for strongly growing communities like these. And, of course through our breakthrough mining agreement which will return $10.5 billion to the Australian community, we can invest in some of the critical infrastructure that is so important in these fast-growing communities like Gladstone. And, of course these funds and these revenues are opposed by the Liberal and National Parties.
I noticed the Shadow Treasurer, Mr Hockey, is walking around Queensland today. He ought to explain why he is opposing revenues to be spent on critical infrastructure in places like Gladstone and Townsville that will flow to the Australian people and to the Queensland people. We've got a regional infrastructure fund, $2 billion over which over ten years will be spent in this State and that is being opposed by the Liberal and National Parties.
We have a plan for the future. Mining Boom mark II is going to bring great prosperity to our nation, but what we must do is invest in the infrastructure for these communities to maximise our growth and the quality of life in communities such as this.
So that's one of the reasons for being here today, but also to talk to local workers, because local workers here are really concerned that we keep a system of industrial relations which is fair, and they know that Mr Abbott and the Liberal and National Parties want to go backwards. They want to go backwards to all of the worst aspects of Workchoices, particularly individual contracts. So we're here talking with the local workforce about what we can do to invest in infrastructure, and why it's important to keep a system of industrial relations which is fair and balanced for the workforce of Australia. Over to you.
JOURNALIST:
Can you guarantee that the $6 billion infrastructure fund will remain the same despite lower returns from the changes to the minerals tax?
TREASURER:
I'm very confident that the infrastructure fund that we have outlined will be delivered. The only reason it wouldn't be delivered is if the Liberal and National Parties were elected to Government because they opposed the revenue in the first place. The fact is the Australian people are entitled to a fair return for the resources they own 100 per cent, and communities like this which are responsible for producing so much of that wealth are also entitled to have some investment in critical infrastructure.
JOURNALIST:
(Inaudible)
TREASURER:
I can certainly guarantee that the $6 billion will be there. We've budgeted for that. We've put our estimates out there this week. The great thing about the economic update that was published this week is that employment is so strong in Australia. There's been something like 350,000 jobs created in the past year. Compare that to what is happening in other advanced economies around the world where unemployment rates are in double digits. Australia has done well because in the past couple of years the Labor Government has been investing in local communities and supporting local communities. Those investments have been opposed by the Liberal and National parties all of the way, and had they been in power in recent times Australia would have gone into recession and, of course, unemployment would be far higher.
JOURNALIST:
(Inaudible)?
TREASURER:
No I just don't accept the characterisation of your question at all. We have put forward, in the normal way, our forecasts and projections. They have been supplied by the Treasury in the normal way and in the same way in which the Treasury has provided these forecasts and projections to previous conservative governments.
The problem that the Liberal and National parties have is that they don't have an economic policy. At the beginning of this debate about mining they said that the miners were paying too much tax. Now that the miners have agreed that they should pay some more tax, the Liberal and National parties are opposing that revenue stream which can deliver so much to local communities such as this. That is a completely illogical proposition from the Liberal and National Parties and just demonstrates that they're not qualified to run a national economy.
JOURNALIST:
What did you know about the leadership deal between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd?
TREASURER:
I'll leave commentary on those matters to others.
JOURNALIST:
(Inaudible)
TREASURER:
Well look, the Liberal and National parties will have to come forward with a coherent economic policy. They don't have one at the moment. Had they been in Government for the past couple of years, Australia would have went into recession, unemployment would have been higher and debt would have been higher. I'd like to see some economic policy from the Liberal and National Parties. That's what I'd like to see.
JOURNALIST:
Is it destabilising though, the leak?
TREASURER:
I don't believe so. I believe the Australian people want to have a debate about the future of the country and the policies which have been put forward by both sides of politics. Julia Gillard is moving forward, we have put forward a program of investment in infrastructure, in education and in health. The Liberal and National parties want to take an axe and cut health spending, cut education spending and they won't support vital investment in infrastructure such as infrastructure in regions such as Gladstone. That's what the Australian people want to talk about.
JOURNALIST:
Who do you think is responsible for the leak?
TREASURER:
I'm not going to comment on those matters. I'll leave the commentary to others.
JOURNALIST:
What about things like the GP Super Clinics? That was one of the initiatives that your Government was going to introduce here … (inaudible)
TREASURER:
Well, we're proceeding with our GP Super Clinic but it wouldn't happen under the Liberal and National parties. That is a classic example of one of those vital pieces of community infrastructure which would get the chop from the Liberal and National parties. They're proposing very big cuts in health and in education and in infrastructure spending and communities such as this need that vital investment. These communities that are growing need that vital investment in health, in education and infrastructure.
JOURNALIST:
During the week Chris Trevor was saying the attacks on Kevin Rudd should stop. What's your view on how Kevin Rudd should be treated now?
TREASURER:
Well, my view is the same as it has always been. Kevin Rudd did a very good job for Australia and that should be respected by everybody, and I think that is the view of all of the people in the Parliamentary Labor Party.
JOURNALIST:
Should he ever be trusted to return to the front bench?
TREASURER:
Julia Gillard dealt with those matters at the Press Club yesterday and I don't intend to go into them again. I think the real question today is what is Tony Abbott actually doing in the electorate of Ryan, and why did he cancel his trip there today?
JOURNALIST:
So is this the beginning of an election campaign for the Party?
TREASURER:
No, what we're doing here today is what I do every week of the year. We move around the country when Parliament isn't sitting and to get out into our great communities to talk to working families, to talk to the business community about what the challenges are in those communities. This is something that I do all of the time and what CT does all of the time as well.
JOURNALIST:
What is your polling telling you about the seat of Flynn?
TREASURER:
I'm not responsible for any polling, but I don't comment on it.
JOURNALIST:
Would you support a return of Kevin Rudd to the front bench?
TREASURER:
I'm not commenting on all of those issues.
JOURNALIST:
Why not?
TREASURER:
Well, because the Prime Minister dealt with them extensively yesterday and they are matters that she can comment on. I'm not commenting on it.
JOURNALIST:
(Inaudible)
TREASURER:
I'm interested in the policy debate and I think all Australians are interested in the policy debate. What's the choice here? The choice here is to go forward with Prime Minister Gillard and the Labor Party, forward in a way with a Government that has protected our economy at a time of great challenge in the global economy, to make a judgement about the Liberal and National Parties' lack of understanding of those challenges, to have a debate about the future of infrastructure spending, education and so on.
JOURNALIST:
Julia Gillard said yesterday that there was some tough decisions to be made. How do you think that will affect Queenslanders?
TREASURER:
Well, what Julia Gillard said yesterday is that we are going to bring our Budget back to surplus in three years, three years early and we will run a very disciplined fiscal policy which will mean that we will not be increasing our spend as we go through the election campaign. Every cent that we spend will be offset. That's what she said yesterday.
JOURNALIST:
What about the infrastructure (inaudible)?
TREASURER:
I beg your pardon?
JOURNALIST:
Well, how will that affect you?
TREASURER:
Well we've budgeted for the infrastructure. That's the whole point. Because we've reached, Julia Gillard reached this breakthrough agreement with the mining industry, we have the funds in place now to fund infrastructure in communities such as this, and that is now opposed by the Liberal and National parties. They are standing in the way of that investment, just as they are standing in the way of a very big tax cut for small business. The $5,000 instant write-off of purchased assets that we are putting forward is a significant tax cut for small business in communities such as this, and that is being opposed by the Liberal and National Parties. And in addition to that the Liberal and National Parties are opposing the boost to superannuation for all Australian workers. They are opposing all of those initiatives.
So there is a very clear choice when it comes to supporting workers and their superannuation – that's what the Labor Party is doing. The Liberal Party is opposing it. Supporting local infrastructure – the Liberal Party is opposing it. The Liberal Party is opposed to everything and they actually don't have an alternative policy except to go backwards through the worst aspects of Workchoices with individual contracts. Thanks
